Julio Cesar Martinez suspended by Nevada Commission for positive drug test in connection with March 30 victory

Julio Cesar Martinez’s career is facing a forced break.

The Ring has confirmed that the former WBC flyweight titleholder tested positive for a banned substance in connection with his victory over Angelino Cordova on March 30. The fight took place as part of the inaugural Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) pay-per-view event on Prime Video at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A sample collected from Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) testing revealed S5 diuretics and other masking agents.

“(Martinez) is scheduled to appear before the commission again in June, tentatively scheduled for June 25, 2024,” NSAC administrative assistant Louis Hamilton confirmed to The Ring. “But there is always the possibility that (he) will be subpoenaed for a future meeting.”

Martinez (21-3, 15 knockouts; 2 no-contests) remains suspended by the NSAC pending further investigation. All Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) chairmen are required to respect the ruling. Martinez, the No. 3 flyweight in the ring, is not allowed to fight anywhere in the United States during this time.

Erick Garcia Benitez (5-6-1, 1 KO) of Guadalajara also tested positive for S5 diuretics at the same show and suffered a four-round loss to Justin Viloria (5-0, 3 KOs).

The test results coincided with Martinez’s announced decision to give up the WBC flyweight title and fight at junior bantamweight. The 29-year-old from Mexico City had held the belt since December 2019.

Injuries, illnesses and other problems almost stopped his reign. In more than four years he only managed to defend seven times.

One of his problems was the ability to maintain weight.

Martinez ultimately hit the mark in each of his title defenses, although he needed two attempts on some occasions. He also posted significantly more points than the 115 limit in a March 2022 loss to legendary former four-division titleholder Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs).

Three wins followed for Martinez, including a majority decision victory over Cordova in a hard-fought fight.

If the current test results hold, he will have to give back the win. First-time NSAC offenders have received suspensions of six to nine months, a percentage fine, and a no-contest if the culprit is the winning fighter.

Such a decision would delay Martinez’s hopes of conquering the attractive 115-pound class.

Medical studies point to the use of S5 diuretics and other masking agents to “falsify the results of doping competitions.” Such substances are banned by WADA both in and out of competition. They alter body fluids and actually contribute to weight reduction.

Martinez had previously tested positive for clenbuterol in random drug tests conducted by the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program. Countryman and then-WBC middleweight (122-pound) titlist Rey Vargas (36-1-1, 22 KOs) had a similar result. Both were cleared by the WBC, whose results suggested it was part of the ongoing problem with contaminated meat in Mexico.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Follow @JakeNDaBox